Process of treating trolley-wires.



No. 706,699. I 4 Patented Aug. 12, I902. A. SPRINGER.

PROCESS OF TREATING TROLLEY WIRES.

.(Applicnion filed. Feb. 7, 1909.)

(No Model.)

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T l itnesses. In r ezzfor.

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"UNITED STATEs PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED SPRINGER, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

PROCESS OF TREATING TROLLEY-WIRES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 706,699, dated August12, 1902. Application filed February 7, 1902. Serial No. 92,971. (Nospecimens.)

T0 CLZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED SPRINGER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Oincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio,have invented new and nsefullmprovem ents in Processes of Treatment ofTrolley-WVires, of which the following is a specification.

It is a fact of common knowledge that the trolley-wires of electricrailways deteriorate by continued use and become, in the parlance of thecraft, rotten and brittle, and thus break under the passage of thetrolley-wheels or under sudden strains from various causes. Thiscondition of deterioration is supposed to be that or analogous to thatof the molecular disturbance such as occurs in car-axles and otherrevolving shafts and parts of machinery under frequently-recurringstresses of the same character. The remedy for this condition in metalsis usually reheating to such a temperature short of the fusion-point aswill enable the molecules to reassume theirnormal relations; but thisremedy, while of easy application in the case of car-axles orsmall partsof machinery, in the case of trolley-wires in use is beset withdifficulties so great as to render it impracticable in the ordinarymanner or with ordinary appliances. Myinvention seeks to overcome thesedifficulties and restore the molecular integrity of the trolley-wirewithout disturbing the wire in its operative relations and withoutinterfering with the ordinary uses of the railway. the principle of heatdevelopment by imperfeet or interrupted electrical contact at the wireby the passage thereover of a suitablyformed trolley-wheel or othercontact device by which an interrupted or imperfect return or earthcircuit is formed and heat generated at such closely-recurrent intervalsas by conduction and distribution bring the entire wire to the propertemperature, and thus by a process closely allied to annealing restorethe proper molecular condition of the wire as a whole.

In the drawings herewith illustrating the mode of applying the processindicated there is shown, .in

Figure 1, a trolley-wheel rolling in contact TO this end I utilize withthe trolley-wire, and in Figs. 2 and3 alternative forms of atrolley-wheel for producing a recurrently-interrupted circuit;

Fig; 4, a diagrammatic figure indicating the sparking-points and thedistribution of heat by conduction.

The wheel A (indicated in Fig. 2) is one formed with alternateconducting and nonconducting segments or peripheral contactsurfaces 0and b, respectively. As the constructive details of such a wheel arecommonly understood by electrical mechanics, further reference theretowill be unnecessary. The periphery of the wheel is continuouslycircular, although successive arcs are of diverse conductivity, and itiswell known that in rolling contact the circuit is alternately broken andrestored, forming sparks of great heating power. The general effect isillustrated in the diagram Fig. 4, where the points :0 on the wire w(indicated 'by the lower vertical arrows) are those touched by the linesof division between conducting and non-conducting portions 0 b of thetrolley-wheel A. At such points the sudden make and break of thecircuit, caused by the rolling contact of the wheel A, produces sparksof great heating power. The sudden and intense heat thus produced is bythe heat conductivity of the wire to transmitted in both directions,tending to meet at the points y, (indicated by the horizontal arrows,)thus tending to equalize the temperature of the wire as a whole. Asubstantially similar effect is produced bya wheel A, Fig.3, whoserolling periphery is divided into independent portions 0, interrupted bysuccessive recesses h, and the sparking produced in substantially thesame manner as before by interrupted electrical contact.

The degree of effect produced will obviously be governed by theintensity of the current transmitted and bythe rapidity of the rollingmotion of the trolley-wheel, both of which can be determined by simpleexperiment under the local conditions of application.

In the case of copper, generally used for trolley-wires, an improvedresult is attained by sudden cooling of the wire after heating. This maybe effected by attaching to the trolley-arm a, Fig. 1, a follower ortrailer consisting of an open trough e, in which is mounted a wheel g,of absorbent material-such, for example, as sponge-rubberformed in thegeneral similitude of a trolley-Wheel (indicated by dotted lines) andrunning partially submerged in water, which by a suitable pump (notshown) is kept in constant circulation in the trough from a cool sourceof supply through connecting-tubes ff, carried through the trolley-arma.

It is intended in the practical use of my invention to provide a specialcar suitably equipped with the necessary apparatus to run over the lineat night or in the intervals of ordinary use at any time, and experiencewill soon determine the speed and other conditions necessary to beobserved to secure perfect results.

The two forms of trolley-Wheels here shown at A and A are examplesmerely of various forms that may be used. Indeed, a sliding contacthaving a constant resistance or one capable of adjustment in degree maybe used and the speed of travel regulated to raise the wire to theproper temperature. As all such details are within the common knowledgeand skill of practical electricians, I do not deem it necessary todescribe them further.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States- 1. The method or process of restoring to normal molecularcondition trolley-wires of electric railways deteriorated by use,consisting in treating the Wire in situ at successive substantiallyadjacent points in its length by a total or partial interruption of thecircuit at each of said points in succession.

2. The method or process of restoring to normal molecular conditiontrolley-wires of electric railways deteriorated by use, consisting intreating the wire in situ at successive substantially adjacent points inits length by a total or partial interruption of the circuit at each ofsaid points in succession, and immediately thereafter cooling said wireto normal temperature by means applied in similar succession to heatedportions, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

ALFRED SPRINGER.

Witnesses:

LLOYD T. BRUNSON, OHAs. HERBERT JONES.

